New Hornby Ruston Shunter | Unboxing & Review

[@arandomsteve2251]

Someone tell Lawrie's mechanical marvels. Very cute little loco.

[@chrisbruce5711]

So guess what I bought... it will fit in the garage

[@SteamingThroughYorkshire]

Already have.

[@bluefoxy6478]

I wonder if we will get lawries Ruston 48 as a model from Hornby with the nameplate that his Ruston has.

[@SteamingThroughYorkshire]

@@bluefoxy6478 ah! Probably not. But! Can get one repainted ;)

[@bluefoxy6478]

@@SteamingThroughYorkshire true there.

[@scottishrailwaymaniac9996]

I bought this because it worked at the Longmorn Distillery in Elgin where I was born 😁 I've also helped in the restoration of the real one in Aviemore

[@SamsTrains]

Ooh that's awesome - what a great excuse to get one!! :D I'd love to go and see the real thing at Aviemore!! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@32Benjy32]

Awesome review as always Sam. Just wanted too mention that I've driven a real Ruston 48 on many occasions down where I volunteer at my local preserved railway.

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks very much mate! Oh that's awesome - what are they like to drive? Is there much inside the cab?? Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@michaelnaisbitt1639]

How much room is there inside the real loco??

[@jonathansharman2872]

Sam'sTrains I own a narrow gauge one and the controls are as basic as They come, 4 leavers and an oil pressure gauge

[@32Benjy32]

You could hold a small party in the cab but getting in the doors are a bit of a squeeze 😂😊

[@crazypickles8235]

@@32Benjy32 That is really cool, mate! I would love to drive a locomotive at some point in my life

[@jimmydotcom6078]

You, Sir, are an excellent addition to the "rail modelling world", the voice of reason, the voice of observation. Really good review. Cheers

[@SamsTrains]

That's very kind of you Jimmy, thanks a lot for that! Cheers mate, Sam :)

[@billylauwda9178]

6:10 Me : *Laughs in N scale 4-4-0 ddc sound steam engine*

[@SamsTrains]

haha you're absolutely right!! ;D

[@SimplyTakuma]

You know what i loved on this Ruston diesel? Its fits right in the time period of "we have steam but also we can need diesel".

[@SamsTrains]

haha yeah absolutely!! :D

[@flyingyorkshireman4783]

Hi Sam, great review. Love this little loco. Had my eye on one of these for some time, hoping to get one at the York exhibition Easter weekend for my birthday. Would look great on my whisky distillery layout I am hopi g to start building soon My friend has one of these already in a different livery and we tested the loco to see how it would run on the tightest radius. We had a double straight piece of flexi track and ran the loco at different radius. In the end we managed to pull the track to 360 degrees, each end touching each other and the loco worked fine. We didn’t try it with the wagon that came with the loco attached but tried with a coal wagon and the only thing causing it problems was the narrow coupling. If it was a normal size coupling, I think it would have run perfectly

[@SamsTrains]

Cheers for that mate - sounds great, hope you can find one! Wow - impressive that it can manage such a tight curve!! :O Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@korky7775]

I sold EVERYTHING i had built up over the years because i thought at the time it was taking me away from all the other jobs i was supposed to be doing at home...but here i am watching your vids and just itching to pop to my local model shop ...This hobby never leaves you and it appears you can never leave it...love the vids sigh...

[@SamsTrains]

Ahh capital mistake there mate - hopefully you can get back into this some time! ;D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@JonatanGronoset]

A friend got one of these and told me yes, you can remove the wagon.

[@TheTrainMaster15]

I want to say rip the two ends apart like a Christmas cracker but I think some kid might take it seriously 😂

[@SamsTrains]

Yes indeed - they can be removed! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@o.m.b.demolitionenterprise5398]

@@TheTrainMaster15 Ok so I did this with my one and now it’s broken and I blame you

[@CymruJedi]

Last year I bought the standard green Ruston and it was the first Hornby model I bought in well over a decade and has reintroduced me into the hobby. Glad you liked it Sam

[@SamsTrains]

That's great to hear mate - they are lovely aren't they?! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@TheTrainMaster15]

Someone tell Laurie from Laurie Goes Loco, he might be very pleased. Also watch Laurie Goes Loco, it’s a great little series.

[@SamsTrains]

haha so I've heard - I'll have to check it out! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@astridvallati4762]

A lot of shunting in Industrial Spurs or Sidings are usually on one or two 4-wheel Waggons, both in Britain and In Europe. The Flat car " shunter's" platform is increased Braking power, and a safe place for the Shunter to mount and dismount whilst in operation; a flat car also increases the Vision field for the Driver.

[@LaZeRJET]

Hey Sam I love the Intro and nice to see you once again Let's make this Year a Good One

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks very much Oliver, hope you have a fantastic year too mate! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@michaelkessler3813]

When you mentioned the stiff connection to the car, it reminded me of an old HO scale loco i have from the late 50s to around early-mid 60s. It has a stiff attachment like that, to the tender, where its made of leather and has the wire connecting the engine to it underneath.

[@SamsTrains]

Ahh really? Leather? That sounds crazy! :O Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@alicyjinx8923]

Oh my god it's so tiny I love it

[@SamsTrains]

haha me too!! :D

[@kkobayashi1]

I just received my own! I love it. I think I'm going to preorder the blue one too. A couple of things I noticed: 1) The rigid coupling rod is a bad design; it needs to be articulated at both ends so the wagon + loco can follow a tight curve. 2) But if I replace the rod with the included couplers, I can still connect the wires, so that should solve the issue. 3) The connector polarity isn't a big problem - the right side wire connects to the right side, and left to left. The wires are short enough that it's pretty obvious. 4) Mine didn't have exposed copper on the wires.

[@SamsTrains]

Fantastic! Those blue ones look amazing! Yes the coupling drawbar is a bad design - agreed, lol! ;D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@doogadooga2067]

Very helpful! I’ve had my eyes on this for a short while now and I think it would be a great engine to start of a new layout

[@SamsTrains]

Glad to hear that - I think I can recommend these overall! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@timsytanker]

With that ‘solid’ coupling from loco to wagon, it helps to have a little weight on the wagon to keep all four wheels in contact on the track.

[@SamsTrains]

Yes I'm sure that's true - seems to work well anyway! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@ian_b]

"What if we turned the cuteness up to 11?"

[@SamsTrains]

haha!! ;D

[@bussesandtrains1218]

You would get a terrier Sorry i am just an overly enthusiastic terrier fan (OETF)

[@MiddletownBranchProd.]

Busses and trains 121 I’m an OETF too

[@JackMitchell404]

I have two, the Works green one and the red one. I think they're great and if you have two, you can even put a wagon on each end (or wire together two locomotives as the wire is long enough to span the length of two tension lock couplings)

[@SamsTrains]

Sounds fantastic Jack - I love the idea of multiple wagons fitted - great suggestion! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@JackMitchell404]

@@SamsTrains I must say, I did modify mine by super-gluing the sockets to the chassis (set back far enough so it could still be dismantled), I didn't fancy their chances of survival with the wires taking the strain when pulled to unplug the wagon connection.

[@enderplant]

I can imagine the loco on 0.001 radius curves...

[@SamsTrains]

haha - it'd probably still be fine, lol! ;D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@Zebrails]

The beginning of January my missus and I went to Chapter's Bookstore, I sought my favourite quarterly railroad mags'... and didn't find any. I decided not to grumble and picked up, instead, the 2019 Hornby magazine. It came with a catalog and 2020 calendar. Today, I am paging through it in its entirety while watching your review of the Ruston. Wanna guess what I discovered on pages 76-79 and 94-96? Coincidentally this very locomotive! Slightly different road name or "livery" as you call it. The Howitzer/R.O.D. locomotive you reviewed is also in this issue. Three or four other pieces in this magazine have been reviewed by yours and other pages I am subscribed to. Your page is one of three in the UK I am subscribed to. I'm absolutely impressed with the reviews. I'm impressed with what is acceptable by the "U.K. standards". I never feel bored when watching real or model trains from/in the UK. "The Men of The Footplate" is fascinating as are other history documentaries. I'm across the pond and land-mass, BC, Canada. John in Kamloops

[@SamsTrains]

Sounds great John - yes it looks like Hornby are producing quite a few different versions of these now!! Thanks very much for your kind words on my reviews - really appreciate that! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@JonatanGronoset]

Sam: "ThE sOlDeRiNg iS a StAtE." _proceeds to cover up MADE IN CHINA sign with finger_

[@oopsmybad769]

JonatanGronoset XD

[@Iwan_89C]

lol

[@Crimsonedge1]

Have you seen the micro soldering that goes into making an iPhone? Amazing work... Also, MADE IN CHINA... By hand... Start to finish, an iPhone takes 5 days and goes through 125 pairs of hands that cover 141 different tasks. Open up the phone though and its so precise, it looks like it has been assembled by machine. This tells us one thing... You get what you pay for in China and thus Hornby obviously use the cheapest bidder. Nothing to do with China though... Pay the correct money and you literally get perfection... Crap soldering? Blame Hornby for cheaping out. I mean, that train must have cost them £2-3 per unit... IF that... So not only are they happy to cheap out on workmanship, they also over price it during sale. £2 to make, £70 to buy.

[@SamsTrains]

This is true Buck - these aren't indicative of Chinese labour specifically, but rather cheap unskilled labour, regardless of the location!

[@Poliss95]

The Rapido factory in China are so skilled they even paint the silverware on the tables in their HO dining coach. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gn_Xk3yIq7CgfZo

[@jaydanjm9589]

I love when you do the black and white in the hill, it is so cool. You should do a full video with black and white only

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks very much Jaydan - check out some of my trainspotting videos for more black and white! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@deel399]

Me:what a nice loco Sam:I got this for £72 Also me:not so nice now😂 P.S are you going to get the yellow submarine Eurostar set? I personally think it is a bit strange but cool at the same time

[@SamsTrains]

haha yeah it's not cheap!! I might do - it does look very cool! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@SMTMainline]

My layout is North American however this is such an interesting locomotive that I'm thinking of getting one. Adding a wagon for extra pickup is an interesting idea, I'm sure it helps connection although for tight switching areas I suspect it would make things more tricky. The wiring job you pointed out is disappointing too, I wonder if it can be fixed. Anyway, excellent video!

[@SamsTrains]

Ooh I can recommend it mate - don't think you'd regret it! Yes that's true - though it can be removed if absolutely necessary! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@rianhurford3679]

100th like my man!

[@SamsTrains]

haha well done Rian! :D

[@davidbugler4597]

14;24 The 'little metal rings' are lifting rings for attaching crane slings or re-railing jacks, so the loco can be lifted off its wheels for maintenance -- or indeed, so it can be re-railed after going 'on the floor' on dodgy industrial track. A really neat touch from Hornby. Pity about the Stone Age wagon. I reckon this model alone will see a boom in 00 minimum-space industrial layouts. Thanks for the review, excellent as always.

[@SamsTrains]

Duly noted David, that makes sense!! Happy New Year - Sam :)

[@sharkymcsharknose2979]

On one of my N scale steam locos (Model Power 2-6-0 Mogul) the drawbar has a metal clip to keep a pickup wire from loco to tender tidy and away from the track so it won't snag. It looks overscale in N but would be a nice addition to future runs of this Ruston loco. Neat engine, BTW. I think every rail enthusiast has a soft spot for little industrial shunters.

[@SamsTrains]

Yeah! I've seen Bachmann use similar clips on their drawbars - that would have been great on this! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@STOP_red_light]

The loops are probably on the prototype for hauling wagons around on a rope using a capstan for wagon turntables, etc.

[@SamsTrains]

That sounds interesting Samuel - could be right there! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@BoaFilmsPlc]

Hi Sam, yes, you can detach the match wagon. The loco chassis has a small plug at each end. The wagon's pick ups might need to be checked as they do tend not make a good connection. For a DCC decoder, none of Hornby's will fit! You will need a "Nano" decoder. I fitted a Gaugemaster Ruby 6 pin.

[@SamsTrains]

You certainly can - I demonstrated it in the video in the end! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@mckav2358]

Hi Sam Youre investigative model research is 'brilliant' as it immensely assists the potential buyer to decide whether or not a certain model is worth purchasing. Your research could also be instrumental in encouraging model makers to give fair value for money & to improve quality. Most things you point out, infact probably everything, should be demanded by the purchaser & provided for by the maker - such as attatching bodies by screws instead if highly fragile plastic clips & the absolutely disgusting way a boggie is alowed to run in a plastc block??? Rather than, even a simple nylon or brass bearing Keep up youre excellent work young man !!!

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks very much Kav, that's really great to hear! Yes those plastic clips are a pet hate of mine too - the sooner they stop making models like that the better! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@iceeblueburst03]

The messy wiring reminds me of the Ivatt Class 2MT with the poor assembly of the wires between the loco and tender. That's what I was thinking of when I saw the loco and wagon attached.

[@SamsTrains]

haha yeah you're absolutely right!! ;D

[@dizzydogz9939]

I have works Ruston and Longmorn one. Both DCC and run perfectly without wagon. I also have Pecketts. My layouts are designed for tiny locos with seriously tight radius. All points are electrofrog and they crawl through them. So, when a little loco won't go through an insulated point don't blame the loco, just get proper points!

[@SamsTrains]

Great to hear that - yes they do seem good and reliable! Oh yeah, with electrofrogs, these are bound to be perfect!! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@williamhurley2427]

Another fantastic review, and I'll be honest I was routing for this loco a little bit. Rustons and Hornsby were actually based in Lincoln not London, and the factory still exists today and is in use as a factory. It is now a siemens factory. They were best known for their diesel locos (a lot of them narrow gauge), but one of their next most popular products (other than the stationary diesels) was their traction engines. The Factory is also within sight of two other traction engine manufacturers (Robeys, and Clayton and Shuttleworths). Rustons also had a bash at creating the tanks in WW1, however their designs were not protective enough, and it was a design from another Lincoln based traction engine manufacturer, Fosters of Lincoln (which is why there are a lot of tank related memorials in the Lincolnshire area).

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks very much William! Oh that's very cool, I didn't know that about the factory!! Thanks for the info mate! :D Cheers, Sam :)

[@CarminesRCTipsandTricks]

Amazing little guy!! I think the pickups on the Wagon is a brilliant idea for what is an impossibly short Loco!! It's geared beautifully too. I would simply Glue the offensive wires to the drawbar...

[@CarminesRCTipsandTricks]

I would want a Boxcar (Wagon), for the reason that I could fit DCC/Sound in the box, with a decent sized Speaker!!

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks a lot mate - yeah I agree, it would be fantastic! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@joelwatkins]

The real Ruston shunter in this livery is actually on the local heritage railway here! Last I heard, it was up and running after an overhaul from it's abandonment in a siding by the old station, but think it just needs it's signature paint job. That said, I don't know how much practical use it'll have on the Strathspey Railway, as they do have a number of other shunters (including the obligatory Class 08 that you find just about everywhere on the British Rail network) but it's nice to see them finally getting on top of locos and rolling stock that have been neglected :)

[@UP-gv9bn]

Loved the conjunction reference to the toy train set video at 20:47, and the loco seems very reminiscent of the old Bachmann Gandy Dancer.

[@SamsTrains]

haha glad you spotted the reference, lol! Yes it is similar to the Gandy, true! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@mikehaufe6635]

Just as a point of interest, I live only a few miles from the distillery where the locomotive operated until it was sold on to the Strathspey Railway for preservation..

[@SamsTrains]

That's very cool - what are they like in real life?! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@SuperJacob2006]

Hey Sam Is That Diesel Engine That Rusty Was Based On?

[@SamsTrains]

It may well have been!! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@SuperJacob2006]

Your Welcome Sam And Great video

[@iceeblueburst03]

Attaching the loco and wagon together reminds me of the old Trackmaster talking engines in the Thomas & Friends toy range. For example we have Thomas and then we have a wagon pernamently attached to him and all of the sounds will go in the wagon and that's also where the batteries go.

[@SamsTrains]

Ooh did they use to do that?!

[@GwionRhysDavies]

Did a review of the Ruston in Factory Green livery a while back and it's an amazing little loco! I have since fitted it will DCC and a stay alive which allows it to crawl soothly at incredibly low speeds.

[@SamsTrains]

Sounds great Gwion - the stay alive must do wonders for this! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@skylarjensen3249]

I can imagine this being used where the loco is essentially permanently coupled to a "yard slug". Yard slugs (at least here in the states) are used in yards when assembling mainline freight trains. there's also Road Slugs, meant to help out when pulling mainline trains.

[@SamsTrains]

Ahh that's very interesting - I didn't know about those! :O Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@daveday5507]

You comment on the wiring. The problem with mine is that the plug and socket between the loco and wagon is so poor that it pulls out evry time the loco goes round a curve. Easily fixed, but why is it necessary?

[@modelsandtrains7915]

I have been toying with this loco for a long time having a lot of steam trains and mainly pecketts I was wondering how this would fit in. But decided to go for it liking the color and design. But agree with everything you say on regards to wires showing they could of made them look like chains.

[@SamsTrains]

Great to hear you got one too - yes the wires did suck slightly :( Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@E350tb]

I got the John Dewer and Sons version over Christmas. It’s pretty okay, I’d prefer the War Department one but it was a gift and I’m grateful. Wiring does give me pause though.

[@SamsTrains]

Oh nice - at least you're happy with it! Yes the wiring isn't the best is it?! ;D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@bentullett6068]

I got that one. I am waiting for hornby to bring out the Ruston that is modelled on the Ruston 48 Lawrie off Lawries Mechanical Marvels KZbin channel owns.

[@alancarpenter2070]

Hi Sam. Happy New Year. My Ruston 48DS "Queen Anne" arrived just before Christmas as did yours. The original "Queen Anne" is on the Strathspey Railway at Aviemore, which is approximately 65 miles from where I live, also the Longmorn Distillery is in my local vicinity. I agree with most o your assessment of the loco and am very impressed with it's pulling power. I see it had no problems with Bullman. I am in the process of building a shunting layout or it on a 4 feet x 2 feet board, plus a small fiddle yard, using all electro-frog points, so I don't envisage any connectivity problems. Good video and review. Regards, Alan.

[@alancarpenter2070]

Ps. The one place my "Queen Anne" differs from yours is that the wiring into the wagon socket has the heat shrink tubes fitted properly, no bare wires. maybe yours is a one off. Alan.

[@SamsTrains]

Happy new year Alan - great to hear you got yours too! I've heard of that railway in Aviemore - such a beautiful part of the country! Oh yes, you'll be laughing with electrofrogs - all the best with it mate! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@FlyingScott]

I have the same variant as you for my end-to-end, and I think mine runs better *without* the match wagon, which I found quite strange. She's smoother than my Hatton's Barclay and even runs over points better. Mine doesn't have the sleeving problem yours does, but the pickups on the wagon were a wee bit dodgy. Other than that I absolutely love her and I'm happy you chose the best livery too.

[@SamsTrains]

Sounds very interesting mate - what do you mean by better?? It should do nothing but improve the performance! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@FlyingScott]

The wagon doesn't like points or changes in elevation very much. And the aforementioned issue with the pickups proved the wagon to be of little use straight out of the box, had to repair them as soon as I noticed.

[@theretrocrowe]

My red version arrived today. I noticed the wires on mine weren't as messy. They stick out both sides instead of up and down so you can't tell unless you look closely

[@SamsTrains]

Ahh that's very good to hear - maybe they've started cleaning them up a bit then?! ;D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@GW-jw9vs]

Ive got one and have to say i agree with your review. I have the red one as it was 10 pound cheaper but i really wanted the green war dept version.

[@SamsTrains]

Thank you! Ahh fantastic - glad you got one too! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@ianhaynes5898]

Looks very cute. Maybe the wiring is not what it should be, but do l like this shunter. That is a good idea about having coaches and other stuff being able to connect to the locomotive and pick up from the track - never stop on points again!

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks a lot Ian - yeah me too, overall very lovely indeed! I'd love to see something like that one day! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@WestRail642fan]

I recently brought the Express Dairy variant but for some reason, it didn't come with the coupler housing cover plate

[@peters1127]

Excellent locomotive for it's size and wow 9 coaches. I like the idea of your new category, it is self-explanatory plain and simple .

[@SamsTrains]

I agree Peter - they're amazing aren't they? Glad you think so! :D Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@reg7584]

Hello Sam! I am having difficulty with my Peco narrow gauge set as it has no controllers. Greetings from Brazil!

[@SamsTrains]

Ahh sorry to hear that mate - hopefully you'll get one some day! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@reg7584]

@@SamsTrains Thank you!

[@axelrajr]

very nice little engine. for those wires, i wonder if putting a gentle twist into them to turn it into a twisted pair would help. if they had done the plug a bit further in you could perhaps pretend they are break lines. i would like to note that at a couple of times it seemed like the wheels on the wagon didn't turn too well at times, probably from the pickups. maybe the wagon is a bit on the light side? might be an idea to add a weight of some sort to the wagon, maybe one that looks like a piece of cargo?

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks very much James - yes no doubt that would help actually, great idea! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@caledonianrailwayman1312]

The real ‘Queen Anne’ Locomotive is currently at Aviemore Railway Sheds. She is ready to run she just needs painted into her brown and cream livery. Great review as usual.

[@SamsTrains]

Ahh fantastic - what a lovely home that is too! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@trr94001]

The slack in the connecting wire is probably there so you can have the shunter and wagon connected by couplers.

[@SamsTrains]

Yeah that's possibly true - but surely they'd want it to fit with the coupling as-supplied?! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@olliesbranchline]

Thank god your back! Since you’ve gone I’ve been watching a lot of top gear and James mays top toys (recommend them) looks like you’ve started off the decade with a brilliant model

[@SamsTrains]

Yeah I've been watching those too this week actually - glad you liked this one anyway mate! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@ThatModelRailwayGuy]

Great video Sam! I did a review of the Works Green one on my channel a while back. The wiring on your wagon does look particularly dodgy, can't say mine looked like that at all. That said, I ended up removing the wagon as the loco has no trouble getting over my old insulfrog points. It's interesting to note the different cab styles too. On the closed door version you can barely see inside the cab at all so perhaps that's why Hornby weren't generous with the detail there. Looking forward to more great videos from you in 2020!

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks very much mate - great to hear that yours was much better!! That's very interesting - I hadn't thought of that! :O Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@lucamarmiroli4563]

Oh my, that's a gorgeous little engine! non february i Am going to London, and i hope to find the new stephenson's rocket, i think that you would like too to have it!

[@TATICMOOR]

I have found it hard to secure The Rocket limited edition locos any where, but I did find a small model shop website that will supposedly have them in stock when released. You will have to search around the advert pages or Google some sites but hopefully you will get one. The train packs are getting scarce too as they are nearly sold out via pre-orders as well, but if you can't find the limited edition Rocket, try and get one of the sets.

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks very much Luca - and best of luck to you mate, they might be quite hard to secure! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@lucamarmiroli4563]

There is the non special version with the non tri-ang package and normal coaches, and It is 10 pounds cheaper!

[@lucamarmiroli4563]

In fact

[@lesbird2074]

On my layout with live frogs, the Ruston runs perfectly without the wagon. Definitely a winner for me.

[@SamsTrains]

Glad to hear that Les - you're laughing if you have live frogs! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@logicalbrick5311]

Not sure if it is just me but I always love the tiny locos

[@SamsTrains]

Me too - they're awesome aren't they?! :D Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@johnd8892]

Hi Sam, At 10:00 you rightly point out the importance of safe wiring. Spot on to point out the damaging nature of full current. However in a short circuit situation, to be safe, the controller should cut out when excess current is delivered in any short circuit situation. I think you would agree it is not just wiring that can cause a short circuit eg derailments, metal objects falling on the track or even track designs like return loops that cause shorts. Loops being a trap for new players. Other examples too if I spent more time listing them. Even back 60 years or so the Tri-ang and Hornby Dublo controllers had red cut out buttons that immediately popped up in short situation to cut off the current. The instructions of sets at the time explained this and the importance of it. Model railways, and these cut outs, educated many youngsters and their parents also into the nature of short circuits in a safe manner. Science teachers back then would find they had groups of students with a model railway background that were more advanced in and receptive to electronic circuit theory. Later these cut outs were changed to thermal cut outs from about 1968 onwards. These were more of a black box and so less receptive to experimenting safely and so learning. Would take a few seconds of high current to cut out. So damage being done longer than a cut out button and would reset after a cooling down time to re-start the damage for a while. Much less emphasis these days on short circuits so I hope all controllers sold do quickly cut out to prevent overload damage. I have not tested all available controllers so could not say they do. I had seen two used Hornby Q1s in a shop where both had wobbly back tender wheels. Turned out they had both been previously DCC fitted and in a short circuit situation the wheel had softened due to the heat of the pickups on the last tender wheel. Seems the DCC system, being designed for numerous locomotives and accessories at once, was delivering enough unnoticed current to heat up the wheel and make it go out of round. Not desirable. I think short circuit protection is an important safety issue.

[@SamsTrains]

That's very true John - most controllers do that - but the Hornby HM2000, for example, does output full current for a time before the cutout - which is usually well over 1amp! It's very true that model railways provide a great education in electronics!! Blimey that's unbelievable about that Q1 - how come it still worked if it was shorting? Or was it just left on the track? Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@johnd8892]

@@SamsTrains Two Q1s I saw years apart had this last tender wheelset problem. The first one I purchased, but years later checked another one before purchase but the same problem. Perhaps the DCC decoder malfunctioned turning to smoke but no output to the motor. Or if the back tender wheelset was parked over a point or something with point blade contact. Not got to the bottom of DCC compatible points but seems to be an issue. The contact if causing a partial short, then the extra current through the wheel tyre may have been enough to heat the rim and so the plastic centre enough to deform the wheel. Hence the wobble. Both were converted back to DC when I saw them. Maybe the previous owner gave up after the problems with DCC and to get them running they were converted back to DC and sold them on. So I am not keen on big DCC systems being able to deliver big currents for too long before they let you know or shut down and the damage this can cause. The early Hornby Dublo controller that came with my second hand mostly Tri-ang train collection many years ago. My first "Train set: . Note the red cutout button : kzbin.info/www/bejne/pneqhZ-Hg95pgbM The Ti-ang version similar to all my firends at the time. Note the red cutout button, but would like to see it in action cutting out : kzbin.info/www/bejne/nKbQq2yZpb6haq8

[@IronHorseRailways]

That's a nifty little thing! I like the idea of the pick up equipped wagon, I wonder how difficult it would be to employ a similar tactic to a generic wagon to help other 0-4-0 locos get over troublesome points?

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks very much - yeah I'd love to see that done!! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@TheSergioTurbo]

That's a neat little loco I'm sinceremy amazed at! The idea of adding a removable pick-up car is clever, and with some improvement in the actual electric connection it could become even better. For example, using small JST-type connectors and plugs would make for both a safer and easier to handle connection, I'm surprised they didn't think of it especially since the type used on RC car ESC cooling fans is absolutely tiny and would be hidden much better, while being impossible to plug in the wrong way as well.

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks a lot mate, yeah they're lovely and clever aren't they?! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@thebritfarmer]

I have the Dewars & the Army version. I just wish the had done a proper NEM pocket on that conflat.

[@SamsTrains]

Yeah I've noticed that too Scott - can't believe they've re-used an old wagon - annoyingly I didn't spot that until too late :/ Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@raykiii]

Wow! I love this loco! This would be perfect for a micro layout. Is this a limited run for the Centennial of Hornby?

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks a lot Ray - it certainly would be! No these are part of the main range! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@TestECull]

They make 5-pole motors small enough to fit in the cab of an N 2-6-0 Mogul. Atlas has been offering them for yonks and they run so damn smooth.

[@SamsTrains]

I stand corrected then - thanks a lot for sharing this! :O Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@TestECull]

@@SamsTrains I will say that adorable little thing runs pretty nicely. And it seems to have four corner pickup on the flat wagon. I'd almost be willing to bet that thing would be a kickarse shunter if it had a die cast load on the bed to weight the tender down. A couple points in the video I saw the leading axle not rotate *at all*, as if it wasn't even on the tracks, when it would go over slight elevation changes. A little weight back there would help, and it could also help with the wagon making every train look a bit samey as you could have several such loads to plonk down onto it.

[@stefanattrill8565]

Sam, great review; thank you. Disappointed that Hornby has chosen to use a wagon from its inherited Airfix days. You have those awful plugs from the top of the flatbed, pushed into the chassis. Furthermore, instead of NEM pockets, I see that they have used the old plastic push-in locators for the couplings. Again, inherited from Airfix days. Given this was a new product to the market, I would expect Hornby to have used more modern tooling for the flatbed, especially as they have other wagons within their range, which come from new tooling and not from the old late '70s Airfix one.

[@Louisianacentral8]

I love the new intro features. I like the spinning wheel, the new stile of the coaches in the background, and I really love the steam effects. I just love the new intro all together. I love the changes and added features. Love your vids and keep doing more. Cheers Sam. Love your channel. Keep up the good work Sam. See you in the next video. Cheers Sam and take care:)

[@SamsTrains]

That's really kind of you mate, glad you enjoyed those!! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@teescottageguyproductions]

I’ve just bought one. Mine cost me new from eBay for £66 as eBay gave me a £5 off voucher since one of my orders was cancelled. I’ll review it when it arrives. It’s estimated that it will arrive on Friday

[@SamsTrains]

Wow! That's a grand price - hope you have fun with it! :D Thanks for watching, Sam :)

[@TheGWRailfan]

What a great little loco! How it can pull 9 coaches baffles me. I think the inclusion of the wagon with pickups is quite smart actually! I'm going to get the yellow one I think! Thanks mate!

[@SamsTrains]

I know - incredible stuff really!! It was a very smart idea, shame it couldn't have been engineered slightly more competently ;) Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@fastoutnotforkids7192]

Do you know if there is any other wagons or something that can go behind this little train?. I think it would be cool if they had like a couch behind it like a little train to give a bigger train its couches.

[@SamsTrains]

I'm sure some of the standard mineral wagons could be used quite nicely - though I don't really know if any did passenger work! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@arumugamayyavu411]

Can you do another review of a another Small Loco

[@SamsTrains]

Yeah! I'll try to find one! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@brianartillery]

That's a thing of beauty. Just the kind of engine I love. I think the rings on the body are so that it can be lifted by a crane - off the track, or on to a ship, etc. I'd like to see an earlier, wartime one, to pull some gunpowder wagons or War Department Ammonia tank wagons. The big question: what does she look like next to your Beyer-Garratt?🤔

[@SamsTrains]

Cheers Brian - me too, fantastic isn't it? Almost invisible is the answer to that ;) Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@modifying]

In the pole you forgot to add the standard green livery with is my favourite

[@SamsTrains]

I didn't know about that version mate - that might be the wartime one?? Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@modifying]

Which

[@TATICMOOR]

Sam a great first review of the year and I got one of these "Queen Anne" (my wife is call Ann without and E) diesels. I'd say the body side eye (loop rings) are for maintenance purposes. So it can be hooked up by the engine shed crane's chains etc, to lift the body of the chassis or the whole loco off the tracks. I think the printing is marvellous, clean, crisp and clear. The details on the outer body maybe a bit basic, but they are functional and pleasing to the eye for such a small loco. As for the inner cab well you said it, it is very bare, plus the window glazing is very poor. Maybe I'll print out an interior on card for both front and rear inner walls to highlight it better. The included Conflat wagon is the bog standard detailed and livered Hornby wagon, but with the added picks. To me it isn't a bad job at trying to extend the power gathering from a short wheel base. In fact I have added copper strip pick ups from an old loco like this to a wagon with super glue, with two thin power wires glued underneath an old loco tender draw bar arm. Each end then being screwed to each item, but left loose to articulate them. The wires were then attached straight onto the soldered locos motor pick up points. The downside of this is that it means a permanent link between the two items, but its okay for me to live with as its great for the running benefits over points. Best to also add some under body weight (5-10mgs) to the 48DS Conflat wagon or hidden within the carried load to help add a little adhesion between the wheels and track. Though by your new coach pulling POWER rating for this 0-4-0 it is an amazing little puller and better than some of the largest loco's that I have seen in your other reviews. The added POWER (wagon or coaches) rating that you have introduced will be good to know about and how they perform on a flat straight or a raising incline. Sorry for the comment being long, but they are my thoughts on the subjects you touch on. As for the old one out, it was the black tank 0-6-0 #754 at 28:06 minute's. By the way I've meant to ask you before, but is Gordons Hill an actual slight incline on your floor layout or a groovy little scenic area name you have given it?.

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks very much John, ooh sounds like a good excuse to get one! The printing is amazing for sure! Sounds like those mods are well worth it - might give those a try!! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@lowrangemaniac5326]

I'm thinking to make a forestry narrow gauge model railwa in H0e scale.... This shunter looks very similar to a Decauville diesel locomotive! I like it!

[@SamsTrains]

Ooh nice!! Maybe a good one for you then?! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@lowrangemaniac5326]

@@SamsTrains I love the forestry Decauville railways! They are very cute! In Germany there's a plenty of those little railways and steam engines that makes tourist services.... There were in Italy too, but they are dismantled so far..... A big shame.....

[@TheCynicalEngineer]

really like the new score screen at the end, wondering if you was going to change the colour for the pulling power to indicate whether its really bad / really good or just keep a consistent colour scheme.

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks very much mate - and that's a great idea, but I don't know how I'd gauge that - it'd vary between different models due to their size/weight etc! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@SussexHistory]

Connecting a loco to pickups on a rear truck is more sensible than those 'stay alive' capacitors which one always fears will leak after the passage of many years. The Brelec PW400 available from DCC Supplies is what you are looking for if you want to supply power to the entire train from the loco or vice versa. This fits an NEM pocket which it looks like this Ruston shunter has?

[@SamsTrains]

Yeah I think so too - though they need to work on their application of the pickups! That sounds great - I'll look into that! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@scotth9764]

Honestly Sam just bin the wagon, I run with hornby/peco standard points on my layout and the loco performs beautifuly, even at realistic running speed in a yard! :)

[@SamsTrains]

Yeah but my express points have much larger dead zones - it really does need the wagon for me unfortunately :( Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@patrickwebb7311]

Glad to see you're back, and what a lovely model to start with. I'm quite impressed with the Ruston, though the wiring does leave a little to be desired (I think other companies like Hatton's might improve upon the technology in a few years). Also, for the spotting, the odd one out is the P class, which is the only 0-6-0 on the layout today.

[@SamsTrains]

Cheers Patrick - yeah not perfect, but overall a lovely little engine! And very well spotted - it was indeed! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@leland2096]

Is this smaller than the whickham trolley? Also do you know what your fastest train is?

[@SamsTrains]

Not quite - but very similar! Probably my propeller driven train! ;D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@joelightrailway2362]

Excellent first review of 2020 Sam of the new Hornby Ruston diesel shunter plus flat wagon 👍 This is a fantastic model from Hornby and they gone small with new releases alone the likes of the new tool Rocket as well the Peckett & Terrier tanks.

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks very much Joe, really glad you enjoyed the video! I do love these small releases :3 Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@modifying]

You can swap out the bar contending the locomotive to the flat bed with nem coupling

[@SamsTrains]

Yeah you can! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@trmn311]

Well Sam between this review and seeing the Rustin dairy version in your Hornby new for 2020 video I ordered the dairy version from Hornby USA. Your well done review left me no choice! 😁

[@SamsTrains]

Ooh fantastic - hope you really enjoy it mate! :D Cheers, Sam :)

[@Mr_Dia-Tribe]

Great review Sam as always I got my ruston last week and it's still in the box as i have not built my layout yet but i just had to get it out to check for poor soldering and messy wires and i might have got lucky with mine or you was unlucky with yours but mine looks ok yes the wires are there but they don't hang down like they do on your one and no frayed or bare wires which I'm happy about

[@SamsTrains]

That's brilliant Darren, really hope you enjoy it when the time comes! Glad to hear yours doesn't have the same issue!! :O Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@samgarnett9174]

I’ve a question regarding maintenance. I started model train collecting thanks to your channel so I sincerely thank you I love this hobby. But how hard would you say maintenance is if you read the paperwork?

[@SamsTrains]

Generally speaking it's not too bad - for this model specifically, I don't know yet - I haven't attempted disassembly yet! Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@GregPalmer1000]

I think all short wheelbase locos 0-4-0 & 0-6-0 shoulf be hard wired at factory with a mini plug, & for example the Hornby conflat with pick ups avail as a cat item or even a shunters truck pre wired!

[@SamsTrains]

Yeah I agree Greg - as standard that'd be brilliant! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@GreenBullProductions]

I bought the same loco as you did and it's unreal, it even climbs up scale 1in 40 grades it'll be a pain to add dcc sound though you can fit a 6pin decoder but

[@SamsTrains]

Yes they're incredibly good pullers for the size - impressive stuff really! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@dannyminxe5807]

Hey Sam, love the review! Just wanted to say that I got Queen Anne as well and my wiring isn't so bad at all, they are fully covered and the soldering is decent. But I agree with the glazing, hard to see it in the tiny thing though. I personally believe that the rings were there for if the locomotive was to be lifted with a crane since such a small shunter would be perfect to ship to wherever it was needed. Mine runs perfectly on points and dirty track without her wagon even

[@SamsTrains]

Thanks very much Danny - glad to hear your wiring was better too! Yes you're absolutely right - looks like my guess was wrong ;) Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@max_archer]

Exactly what I was thinking as well. These little Rustons were narrow gauge as often as not, and even the standard gauge models probably couldn't handle being hauled at mainline speeds, so they'd have to be transported on a flatcar or a truck and lowered onto whatever industrial line they were going to work on. I'd guess that some were also contractor's locomotives that would be moved regularly but I've heard of such things more often with small tank engines and I'm not sure if that was still common in postwar Britain or not.

[@LNER985]

For the price. The detail, quality and running performance is good enough for me. Is a good reputation of the real locomotive and the 48 we have at the MSLR was used to create the model. Named after it's former owner Sir William Mcalpine and I like the idea of the match wagon to improve performance on smaller models.

[@SamsTrains]

I agree John, this was decent overall! And I do too - let's hope we see more of that! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@piccadillymodelrailways]

Hi Sam I’ve got the exact same one as yourself so I was very interested to hear what you had to say. I love it, and certainly seems to perform fairly well. I had to adjust the pickups on the wagon to ensure conductivity, not a massive thing, albeit on a ‘new’ loco. I personally are more happy with the wiring, although still flimsy, I’m used to Dapol’s N gauge wires, which you just look at and they break. This in comparison is quite sturdy. On the whole great model.

[@SamsTrains]

That sounds awesome mate - and yes the performance is really excellent! Oh blimey - I can only imagine what that must be like in N gauge! :O Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@WestRail642fan]

with the plug on the front, you could get a second wagon and sandwich the loco between them, unlimited pickups!

[@SamsTrains]

Yes you could absolutely do that!! xD Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@iceeblueburst03]

It's cool that you added "power" on the ranking system to show how much the locomotive can pull when it comes to coaches. Overall, the ranking system is pretty much the same as last year with the stars.

[@SamsTrains]

Glad you liked that mate - hopefully it should be better that way! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@vitalitylimited]

29:22 did anyone else catch that? It's Den and Dart from Thomas and Friends; how convenient!

[@SamsTrains]

Ooh yeah!! :D

[@MasterOfTheLemons]

I like the idea you gave at the start about a universal electrical connection system to utilize coach pickups; reminds me of brake pipes! Maybe they could disguise them as such, that would be pretty cool! And great idea measuring strength in coaches; it's much easier to wrap my head around than newtons! Great review overall, an in depth look at a very unusual and charming engine!

[@SamsTrains]

haha yeah - just like brake pipes!! Yes I had quite a few comments saying that Newtons meant nothing to post people (including me) so hopefully this works better! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@trmn311]

I think that was a very fair review. I would like to be able to find one in the states because shipping from the UK would probably end more then the loco itself!

[@SamsTrains]

Appreciate it mate - hopefully you'll get one some day! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@callumk5]

This is good consumer advice. You answered a lot of questions I had about the model.

[@SamsTrains]

Great to hear that Callum, thanks for the positive feedback! :D Thanks for watching - Sam :)

[@robmasterman]

All I can say about this Sam, is that the best place for it is in a Glass display unit....Bob

[@SamsTrains]

haha you may be right - though the performance wasn't terrible! Thanks for watching - Sam :)